A Time Lord's Responsibility
by BadWolfTM
Summary: The Doctor and River Song aren't a typical couple; but they make things work. Their timelines are mostly linear by now, though River is still tied up with her archaeological digs and has to leave for weeks at a time. The couple never thought they could have even a semi-normal life together. But when River finds out the impossible, their lives turn upside down. (Timebaby fic!)
1. Blissful Visit

**Chapter 1**

**Blissful Visit**

"Do you really have to go?" the Doctor asked his wife, his lower lip stuck out in a childish pout. River Song smiled at him, giving him a nod in response. He was still in their bed, stark naked. He was propped up on his elbow, the covers midway up his stomach. His hair was delightfully messy, a combination of bed head and sex hair. His eyes were still squinted with the aftermath of sleep, his voice husky and low. It very nearly caused River to attack him once more.

"Sorry, sweetie. I've got another dig to go out on, and I still have to plan it. Don't worry; once this one's over with, I'm free for a _long _time." As River got dressed, the Doctor's gaze never turned away. His eyes roamed up and down her shapely figure, and he quickly became lost in his thoughts. It was a few moments before he realized River was talking to him. "Are you listening to me, Doctor?"

The Doctor snapped back to reality, his light green eyes quickly flickering to meet her hazel ones. A smile came to her face when she saw the blush rise to his cheeks. "What was that?"

"I was saying that once this dig is over and done with, I'll have a nice, long vacation to spend with you." She crossed her arms casually, and the Doctor finally took notice of what she was wearing. It was the same lovely V-neck dress she had worn on Daemon's Run. She knew he loved that outfit. He gave her a goofy grin, his eyes lit up with happiness.

"I very much look forward to it." River smiled and walked back to the side of the bed, bending down and cupping his cheeks.

"So do I." she closed the distance between their lips, giving him a warm, slow goodbye kiss. Almost the second they broke apart, she was gone, leaving behind the scent of her sweet-smelling perfume.

River skipped to the console room, a smile on her face. The past week or so she had spent with the Doctor had been wonderful. That is, they had rarely left their bedroom. Between their 'intimate moments', they spent their time talking. Cuddling and talking. Their conversations involved anything and everything they could think of. She couldn't possibly imagine a week better spent.

The whooshing of the dematerializing TARDIS filled River's mind, accompanied by the usual noises that could be heard. They kept the smile on her face. She looked forward to this dig – especially what would come afterward. She enjoyed every moment with her husband.

A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading the short first chapter of my story, A Time Lord's Responsibility! This story is rated T, but may or may not be bumped up to M. We'll just have to see. I'm not sure how quickly I'll be able to update, but I promise I will. Any rates or reviews are welcome, criticism or not.


	2. Dates and Distractions

Chapter 2

Dates and Distractions

-Many Weeks Later-

Making a disgusted face, River Song rinsed out her mouth at the sink. The past few days, every morning, she had gotten sick. She hadn't been back from her duties very long- only around a week or so. After the first dig, her and her team got into many others. They had been gone for a long time.

River left the bathroom, returning to her bedroom. She crawled into her soft, warm bed and pulled the covers up high. She felt horrible. Her head was spinning, her nerves were shot, and to top it off she was incredibly nauseous. The nausea had subsided a bit after being sick moments earlier, but it was still there.

As she lay there, she reached over and grabbed her scanner from the nightstand. Surprisingly enough, despite her elegancy, her room was as messy as the Doctor's study back on the TARDIS. She took notice of that fact and made a mental note to tidy up once she was feeling up to it. River returned her attention to the palm-sized machine in her hand, and switched it on. "Perform a full med scan." She commanded, her voice a bit scratchy. She closed her eyes as she waited for the results.

The scan took longer than normal; almost five minutes had passed before River heard the beep that told her the results were ready. She opened her eyes and looked down at the machine. When she did, however, she didn't expect what she saw. "…Oh my God…"

It was impossible. Yet…. The word was staring her in the face. A nauseated roll of her stomach made the eight letter word seem more likely. Now that she thought about it, River hadn't been herself lately. She had been more moody, and she practically lived off of chocolate and tea. The more River thought about it, the more sense it made. She didn't think it would be possible considering the physiological differences between her and her husband. Yet it was true.

Head spinning more than before, River scrambled out of bed. She made an even bigger mess of her room than what it was a moment earlier as she threw things left and right, searching frantically for her vortex manipulator. After a few minutes of searching and growing irritation, she finally found the manipulator in her nightstand drawer under a messy collection of papers. River swallowed hard as she strapped it around her wrist, and then hurried off to the bathroom again.  
~

A short while later, with an empty stomach and freshly brushed teeth, River once again emerged from the bathroom. She headed up the hall towards the main room, eyes on the vortex manipulator on her wrist as she typed in coordinates. However, the vortex manipulator was proven to be unnecessary when she ran face first into the Doctor's chest. His arms wrapped around her before she could bounce back, and she found herself crushed in a tight hug.

"Hello!" the Doctor greeted cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear in quite a goofy manner. River couldn't help but smile, turning her head so her cheek rested on his shoulder.

"Hello, sweetie." She murmured, wrapping her arms around him. They stood like that for a few moments, just enjoying each other's embrace. After a while, though, the Doctor had to break the silence.

"How long have you been back?" he asked, pulling back to look at her.

"Oh, only a week or so. My team and I found more trails to follow, and ended up taking more time than we planned." She replied, moving her hands to rest on his shoulders. "Mind telling me what you're doing here? Not that I'm complaining."

River bit her lip to hide a small smile when she saw the faint blush on the Doctor's cheeks. "I missed you." He mumbled, fidgeting shyly. It was absolutely adorable. She leaned up and kissed his jaw.

"I missed you too, sweetie." She replied softly. The Doctor broke out in a grin, his light green eyes bright. He stepped back and grabbed her hand, then tugged her towards the TARDIS.

"River Song, you and I are going on a date." He announced, leading the way into the blue box. His wife followed, smiling faintly, and closed the doors behind them. The TARDIS greeted River with a humming sound and a faint glow of the console. "I wasn't the only one missing you. Old girl's been impatient since you left." He bounced up to the controls, only to jump back as one of the many open panels shot out sparks. "Oi! See, Riv? She's doing it now!" the Doctor turned to River with a pout on his already childish face. When he saw her, however, the pout faded and was replaced with a worried expression. "You alright?"

River was standing midway up the ramp, a hand on the railing. She had gone pale, and had her eyes fixed on the floor. The Doctor could tell right away something was bothering her. At the sound of his voice, however, she looked up, and was smiling like nothing had happened. "Fine. So, about this date. Where exactly is it going to take place?" she walked the rest of the way up the ramp and joined him at the controls. Her question had the effect she was hoping for.

"Ah! You see, there's this lovely planet a few galaxies off that's quite similar to Earth. Much more beautiful. Called Eltrolla. Lovely people, and brilliant food!" with the Doctor's excitement increasing, his worry from just a moment earlier was pushed to the side. River smiled and nodded as the Doctor rambled on and on, but she wasn't listening to a word he was saying. She was preoccupied with the information she had only just found out. She had no idea how to tell him, much less what he would say about it. After a few minutes of nonstop rambling and reckless piloting, the TARDIS landed, giving one last violent shake. "And here we are! Eltrolla! Oh, you're going to love it. The restaurant's in a skyscraper; thirtieth floor." The Doctor gushed, beaming. He held his hand out to River, who took it willingly.

Only a few moments later, the couple was seated in a beautiful restaurant, two glasses of wine in front of them. Their table was right at the window, which gave them the perfect view of the city lights and the beach just beyond the line of buildings. River couldn't keep her eyes away from the window, and the Doctor had to wiggle his fingers in her face to get her attention. "Sorry, what was that?" her cheeks turned a faint pink as he smiled at her.

"Like it?" the Doctor asked, his eyes bright. "I told you it's beautiful. The people are very resourceful. Unlike on Earth, they use purely renewable resources. They're big on hydropower; lots of water here."

"It's wonderful. Better than I imagined." River replied, looking out the window again. She ignored his rambling. The Doctor grinned proudly. They sat there in silence for a short while, just enjoying the view and each other's presence. It wasn't long before the waiter came by to take their orders. The Doctor took it upon himself to order for them both. Turns out, the restaurant he chose just happened to have very good sweets on the desert menu. While her husband spoke to the waiter, River glanced at her untouched glass of wine with a slight frown. It was her favorite. She was almost irritated by the fact that she wouldn't be able to drink it. Before the waiter left, she looked up and stopped him. "Could I get a glass of water?" he nodded, scribbling the last of their order on his pad of paper before heading off towards the kitchens.

The Doctor looked at River, blinking in disbelief. She never passed up a glass of wine. "River, are you sure everything's alright?" he asked, squeezing her hand lightly. She nodded, giving him a smile.

"Of course. Just not in the mood for wine." His jaw nearly dropped in surprise. She turned to look outside again; he could see the lights from the city below reflecting in her eyes. Something wasn't right, despite what she kept telling him. Something was bothering his wife. The Doctor frowned, watching her intently. Her gaze flickered to him for just a moment, long enough for him to see the glimmer of worry behind her mask of cheerfulness. Before he could see much else, however, she had looked away again. She propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin in her free hand. The Doctor continued to watch her, and didn't look away until the waiter returned with their meal. He let go of River's hand and they both sat up straighter as the man set the plates in front of them.

The Doctor gave the waiter a smile and said thanks before he walked away, and eagerly dug into his food. River took a few bites, going considerably slower than her husband, who was stuffing his cheeks full. He glanced up at her as he chewed. He slowed for a moment. He knew that look; it only made him more suspicious. It was the look of concentration she had when something was bothering her. Something big was on her mind. The Doctor mumbled something around his mouthful of food, causing River to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. He chewed and swallowed before trying again. "What're you thinking about?" he asked, making an effort to sound casual instead of suspicious. She glanced away quickly, and then gave him a smile.

"Just daydreaming, sweetie." River said lightly. He returned her smile.

"What about?" she shook her head, looking down.

"…spoilers." She said softly, taking another bite of her food. By now, the nausea had died down – what kept her from eating was her anxiety. The Doctor's smile faded, replaced by a frown.

"Right. Of course." He mumbled, pouting a bit as he continued eating.

Eventually, both River and the Doctor had finished their food. The Doctor's cheeks were flushed from the wine he had consumed. He had ended up drinking almost half a bottle despite his distaste for alcohol. By now, they had made their way back into the TARDIS, the Doctor grinning and tripping every few steps. River held the door open for him, rolling her eyes. He went up the ramp to the console and turned a knob. His wife followed after closing the door. She couldn't help but smile when the radio turned on, playing one of the cheesiest love songs River had ever heard. The Doctor turned to her, grinning, and held out his hand.

"Care to dance?" his words slurred; he really wasn't very good with alcohol. River smiled and nodded, stepping closer. He pulled her in and placed his hands on her hips. Her arms wound around his neck. He led the dance -which didn't match the song, and was barely a dance at all- though all he did was shuffle in a circle with her. Not that the Doctor could dance elegantly, considering he couldn't walk over a flat surface right now without tripping. It didn't matter to them anyways. They were just happy to have each other again.

After only a few minutes of dancing, the Doctor stopped suddenly. River looked up at him; he was watching her intently. "…what?" she questioned, fidgeting under the intensity of his gaze. Without a word, his lips were on hers, kissing her hard. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she stumbled slightly as she tried to push him away. He pulled back to look at her. His eyebrows were knit together. "What was that for?"

"I want you." The Doctor mumbled, leaning in for another kiss. This time, after a very short moment of consideration, River leaned up and met him halfway. Her worries melted to nothing as the lingering taste of the wine made its way to her taste buds. Before she knew it, they had somehow made it to their bedroom, and she found herself laying on the bed with her husband above her.

Touches and kisses gave way to shivers and moans; their clothes ended up thrown all around the room. As things became more and more heated, River felt glad for the distraction.

At least, for one night, she could relax and not worry how the Doctor would react when she told him the truth.

~OwO~

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading, and thank you very much to the ones who reviewed and followed!

I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. It's more than 2,000 words not including this author's note! :D

I also apologize for the lack of editing and the bits where I couldn't word things right, and how the ending was rushed. Can you tell I've never written any sort of make-out or smut scenes? It's rushed because it's 1:30 in the morning, and I have to get up for school tomorrow; I really wanted to post this before bed.

Tell me what you think, or if there's anything I need to fix!

Thanks

-Lauren (BadWolfTM)


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